Pouring tea from the teapot directly into cups is convenient. However, the downside is that the first cup of tea will taste different from the last cup you serve. The reason is simple, the tea from the last cup has stayed longer in the pot, thus extracting more flavour from the leaves. This is especially the case when you brew small portions of tea with a high leaf-to-water ratio.

Cha Hai / Gong Dao Bei Pitcher

The solution is to use this pretty glass tea pitcher, which is also known as a ‘gong dao bei’ (fairness cup) or 'cha hai'. Pouring all the tea first in this pitcher will evenly distribute its flavour for serving into cups!

What’s more, transparent cha hai pitcher like these are a great addition to your tea experience, because they also allow you to clearly observe the colour of the brew. It’s allround size will make it suitable to use with gaiwans, small yixing clay pots and other brewing vessels as large as 500ml/17oz.